WNY child at center of medical marijuana fight dies

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) - Friends and family are remembering a 9-year-old girl who found herself at the center of our state’s recent battle over medical marijuana.

Anna Conte from Orchard Park died Thursday, according to a Facebook post by her mother, Wendy Conte. Wendy wrote, “After 9 years of fighting her little body just had enough. She is flying with the angels and most importantly she is seizure free forever. ”

Anna suffered from a form of epilepsy. Her doctors had said medical marijuana could nearly eliminate her seizures.

The Conte family spoke with News 4 in June when the senate approved the medical marijuana bill. At the time, Wendy told us she was, “Thrilled, excited, relieved… [that] there’s medicine coming for my daughter and others like her [because] it’s been a long hard battle.”